PBP Commentary

Coming up we have a featherweight MMA rules bout between Finn Balor (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class) and Pedro Lopez (ranked 0 p4p, 0 weight class). Balor comes to the cage accompanied by Monster. Both fighters look fresh as a daisy as they make their way towards the cage.

Balor
vs
Lopez

172 cm
36
152 lbs
26 - 11 - 1

165 cm
26
155 lbs
17 - 11 - 0

Abu Dhabi Champ
World class boxer
Cardio machine

Excellent grappler
World class boxer
Granite chin

Sun-Tzu

Ladies and gentlemen. This fight is 3 rounds, in the featherweight division.
Introducing the fighter to my left, fighting out of the red corner.
With a record of 26 - 11 - 1, fighting out of New York, Finn Balor!
And introducing the fighter to my right, fighting out of the blue corner.
With a record of 17 - 11 - 0, fighting out of Helsinki, Pedro Lopez!
The judges for this bout are Micheangelo Fripello, Colin Fray and Ryoma Takatsuka.

The bell rings for round one and we are underway!
Lopez throws a combination but comes up with nothing but fresh air.
Balor was looking to counter that move with a punch but didn't quite pull the trigger.
Nice cross by Lopez.
Pedro Lopez seems to be the more aggressive standup fighter in this bout.
A decent looking cross lands there for Lopez.
Balor buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
A head kick from Balor lands but Lopez takes it in his stride.
Lopez misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Balor.
Balor looks shocked there as he takes a right hand to the temple.
Lopez gets cracked there but stands up to it.
Lopez lands the left hand.
The crowd are loving this. Great action here.
Balor tries a switch kick but it misses it's target.
Lopez misses with a looping left.
Lopez misses the jab.
Both fighters circling a little - Balor finishes the exchange with a kick to the body.
Balor buckles his opponent's knee momentarily with a nice leg kick.
Balor takes one on the chin but seems OK.

Lopez shoots in for a takedown and gets it. Let's see what he's got on the mat.
Lopez is taking a break and basically stalling. The referee will not allow him to do that for long.
Balor wants to get back to his feet but Lopez is in a dominant position and won't allow it.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Lopez trying to control the position from guard on top but Balor is wriggling around, looking for whatever he can.
Lopez passes easily into side control. Nice work.
Lopez wants to control but Balor is keeping him busy.

Lopez tries for a kimura but Balor is defending well.
The fighters are pressed up against the cage, both looking to find a bit of space to work.
Balor is sneaking out the side here. He's bucked Lopez off and has taken his back!

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balor has the hooks in. Lopez is trying to push off one leg but he has to do so cautiously to avoid being submitted.

Lopez is staying cool under pressure, defending well against the rear naked choke attempt from his opponent.
Balor avoiding Lopez 's attempts to control his hands.

Balor is staying calm and holding on to the back position, whilst working on a rear naked choke. Lopez is defending well though. Balor let's go of the attempt for now.
The fighters are starting to perspire pretty heavily.
Balor tries to keep control of the position but Lopez is staying busy.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Lopez trying to control the hands but Balor won't let him.
Lopez breaks Balor's hooks off and manages to turn into his guard.
Balor bucks up whilst keeping hold of a body lock, managing to reverse the position. Now he's in top in Lopez's guard.

Lopez can't do much from the bottom at the moment, as Balor controls the pace.
Balor wants to control from the top but Lopez keeps moving.

Lopez working from the bottom, still in full guard. He's managed to get a loose triangle. Balor doesn't seem to be doing much to defend here, obviously he feels comfortable in the position. Balor manages to throw the legs off his shoulder and he's back into guard - no problem.
Lopez wants to sweep but no luck.
Lopez working a defensive guard here.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Balor works a leg free and moves into half guard.
Balor wants to take a breather but Lopez is having none of it.
Balor is scoring with some nice ground and pound from the dominant position.
Balor lands with a punch from half guard.

Lopez actively working from the bottom here.
Lopez is trying to control but can't.
Lopez is not content to let Balor control the position.
The referee walks around the fighters to get a better view of the action. Balor lands a nice short elbow.
Balor is looking to advance position but Lopez won't allow it.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

That was a close round but I would say that Finn Balor will probably get the nod.
That's time! Balor's corner gives him a slap on the ass as he gets ready to fight.

Balor works Lopez's body with a nice hook.
Balor walks into a jab.
Lopez has tried to improve his agility in the runup to this fight.
Balor bobs and weaves well there to avoid the strikes.
Lopez with a nice cross.
Balor stuffs a takedown. It's all about dictating where the fight takes place and Balor wants it to stay on the feet.
Balor throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Lopez displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Balor throws out the jab.
Balor jabs. That one connects to the head of his opponent.
Balor stuffs the takedown.
Lopez checks a low kick. Bone on bone - not my idea of a good time.
Good leg kick by Balor there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Lopez has a nice red mark on his side after a thudding body kick by Balor.
Lopez swings away but doesn't land with a series of punches.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
A slow jab from Lopez misses its intended target.
Balor takes one to the chin there.
Lopez throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Balor.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balor scores with a spinning back kick!
Lopez tries to drive through with a takedown attempt but Balor defends well and Lopez ends up having to push Balor into the cage where they will battle it out in the clinch.
Finn Balor has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pedro Lopez.
Balor scores with a nice body kick.
Lopez bobbing and weaving, closes the distance and lands a hook to the side of Balor's head.
Nice body kick there by Balor.
Lopez misses with a hook
and he gets countered with a snapping leg kick.
Lopez shoots in for a takedown but Balor shows good takedown defense.
Lopez is breathing heavily.
Balor throws a head kick that half lands.
Balor displays some good footwork, moving neatly out of range as Lopez throws out the jab.
Lopez might want to mix his strikes up a bit more. He's just going for head shots at the moment and that can become a bit predictable.
Balor lands with a thumping leg kick.
Balor throws a head kick but Lopez moves out of range.
Balor turns his hip over beautifully as he lands a nice leg kick.
This has been an exciting period of action!
Lopez walks into a left hand.
Balor is really dominating this fight. Is there anything that Lopez can do to turn this around?
Lopez stumbles momentarily as he takes a strong leg kick from Balor.
Balor on the wrong end of a nice hook.
Lopez walks into a straight right hand from Balor.
Balor gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Lopez.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balor feints and then cracks Lopez's leading leg with a nice low kick. He's obviously looking to slow Lopez down.
Lopez gets his head snapped back by a nice shot there.
Balor is using his height advantage well here, landing a good percentage of his punches.
Balor scores with a kick to the body.
Lopez has developed a nice purple lump on his ribcage, as a result of some heavy body kicks from Balor.
Balor gets cracked with a nice right hand there by Lopez.
Balor throws a feint and then finishes with a kick to the body.
Finn Balor is winning the standup battle so far.
Lopez looks to throw the jab but Balor is out of range.
Lopez takes a swing at Balor's ribcage but misses.
Lopez paws at his opponent with the jab and then lunges in with a straight, right on the button.
Nice body punch from Balor.
Balor scores with a push kick.
Lopez's leg has a nasty welt from taking a succession of leg kicks. That must be slowing him down.
Lopez has his front leg slapped to the side - a nice low kick landing there from Balor.
Lopez waving his hands out in front of him, looking to distract Balor.
Balor slips in close and lands a nice hook before moving back out of range.
A chopping leg kick lands by Balor.
Lopez takes a thudding leg kick, right into the meat of the thigh.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Balor thuds his shin into the meat of Lopez's side.
Lopez is trying hard to land a takedown here. Balor sprawls well and keeps this one on the feet.
Balor fires out a quick counter leg kick but Lopez just manages to avoid it.
Balor throws a shot to the body.
Balor throws a head kick that misses and slips in the process. He scrambles back to his feet and the fighters circle.
Lopez throws a combination but it was largely blocked by Balor.
Lopez takes a shot to the nose. Hopefully that hasn't broken it.
Balor rushes forward with a series of wild hooks but Lopez moves out of range and avoids them all easily.
It seemed like Lopez was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
Balor looks to land a combination but Lopez avoids it well.
Lopez throws a good cross that connects.
Lopez shoots for a double leg takedown but Balor sprawls well. He's pushed Lopez's face into the mat and manages to get back to his feet relatively easily.
It looked like Balor wanted to counter with a hook but didn't fully commit.
Balor dances in quickly and lands a nice inside leg kick on Lopez. That did some damage!
Lopez misses with a looping left.
Balor misses with a body shot.
Balor tries to land a front kick but Lopez steps back. That was a bit too telegraphed.
It seemed like Lopez was going to counter with the hook but didn't fully commit to it.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
A jab lands there for Lopez.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Balor, right into the meat.
Balor walks straight into a jab right on the nose. That one stung - he's blinking and trying to clear his head.
Crunch! Balor slams his shin into Lopez's torso.
Lopez tries to move into range but Balor moves to the side and lands with a nice right hand.
No luck for Lopez with that takedown attempt.
Balor uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Lopez.
A shot to the body from Lopez misses
and Balor cracks him with a counter punch right on the button.
Balor throws a leg kick but Lopez sees it coming and checks it nicely.
Lopez misses with a straight right.
Lopez doesn't succeed with the takedown
and Balor counters with a flying knee. Nice.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Lopez throws out a loose jab but Balor uses good head movement to avoid it.
Balor digs a good hook to Lopez's body.
Balor scores with a hook to the body. Lopez takes a step back and tries to catch his breath.
Balor throws a body kick that sends a sickening thudding noise reverberating around the arena.
And that’s the end of the round – the fighters go back to their corners.

Finn Balor dominated that second round.
That's the end of the interval. I'm sure that seemed a lot quicker than a minute for our two fighters! Back to the action. This is the final round!

Lopez misses with an uppercut.
Lopez showing good head movement there, avoiding the strikes from Balor.
Balor lands a nice leg kick that just misses Lopez's sensitive parts.
A bone on bone clash there as Lopez blocks the leg kick.
Lopez checks a leg kick nicely.
Lopez tests Balor's chin there with a solid looking shot.
Lopez throws a left and a right that both miss
and Balor connects with a straight left hand counter down the middle.
Balor chopping away at his opponent's legs.
Balor ducks under an overhand right and circles away with a smile on his face.
We've had a slow start to the round here - hopefully the action picks up.
Lopez getting the better of the striking in that exchange.
Balor moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Balor uses decent footwork to sidestep a right hand from Lopez.
Good standup being displayed there by Lopez as he connects with a hook.
Lopez misses with the combination.

That's one minute gone in the round.
Balor slips under a jab from Lopez.
Balor throws a nice outside leg kick.
Balor swings and misses with a hook to the body.
Balor darts in and out, connecting with a jab.
Lopez misses with a few strikes there.
Lopez scores with a hook.
Lopez throws a couple of head shots and lands with the final one - a decent hook, which struck Balor on the side of the head.
Balor connects with a leg kick. He turned his hip over nicely there.
Lopez throws a right hand that Balor ducks under and follows up with a left that Balor also avoids with ease.
Balor connects with a leg kick. Lopez looked like he was expecting something else and didn't defend it.
Balor walks into a jab.
Balor just misses with a punch to the body.
Balor scores with a body shot.
Fantastic stuff here - a very entertaining period of action, which has drawn cheers from the crowd.
Lopez throws a body punch but Balor moves out of range.
Balor throwing a counter right hand but Lopez manages to avoid it.
Finn Balor is looking to keep the fight on the feet at all costs.
Lopez looks for a takedown here. Will he get it? Balor is fending him off so far but Lopez persists. Nope, Balor circles away and we're back to standing.
Pedro Lopez has stepped it up - he knows he needs a finish here!
Lopez takes a big intake of breath there - he's definitely tired.

That's two minutes gone in the round.
Balor connects with a body shot that sends Lopez's belly button to the back.
Nice defenses there by Balor.
Lopez swings wildly with a right hand that was never going to find it's target.
Balor throws a right high kick that is partially blocked by Lopez.
Balor looking to take his opponent's legs away with the low kicks.
A slapping leg kick lands for Balor.
Lopez lets the fists fly and connects with a left straight followed by a right hook.
Balor misses with a body shot. Nice footwork from Lopez.
Lopez with a lazy takedown attempt
and Balor makes the exchange count by landing a cracking kick to the body. Lopez really felt that one!
Balor will need to tighten up his combinations if he doesn't want to gas himself out, swinging at thin air.
Lopez throws a poor cross that misses
and Balor counters with a shot to the ribs. That looked like it hurt.
Balor with a nice looking leg kick. You could hear that one land in a back row.
Balor slips under a jab from Lopez.
Balor staying out of range there.
Lopez throws a jab, cross combination which is slipped
letting Balor counter with a right hand.

That's three minutes gone in the round.
Good leg kick by Balor there. It's the ones that make that thud noise that hurt and that was an almighty thud.
Lopez with a lazy takedown attempt
and Balor counters with a thumping low kick.
Finn Balor has stuffed three takedown attempts in the round now. That's going to take a lot out of Pedro Lopez.
Lopez takes a shot right to the liver - Bas would have been proud of that punch.
Balor changes levels and scores with a jab to the body.
Balor scores with a reasonable looking shot to the body. Lopez doesn't seem bothered though.
Balor misses with a series of wild punches.
Finn Balor is fighting for a decision here - he's started to take the cautious approach.
Balor moving in and out of range nicely, whilst landing the scoring shot.
Lopez tries for a takedown but Balor sees it coming a mile off and avoids it easily.
Lopez just manages to avoid a counter high kick fromBalor.
Lopez looks to throw the jab but Balor is out of range.
Lopez misses with a hook
and Balor counters with a nice body kick.
Lopez doesn't react quick enough there as he takes a shot to the body.
Lopez swings widly with a right hand
and Balor counters with a right hand to the body.
The crowd cheering loudly, showing their appreciation for the quality fight we're seeing here.
Balor scores with a leg kick.

That's four minutes gone in the round.
Nice shot by Balor.
Balor looks like he's developed a pretty tasty lump over his left eye. He'll need to avoid taking much more damage to that.
Ouch! a nice leg kick from Balor, right into the meat.
Balor slips a jab from Lopez.
Lopez looks to land a left hand but Balor moved out of range nicely.
Balor throws a shot to the body.
A jab lands there for Lopez.
A telegraphed right hand from Lopez misses the target.
Lopez throws a series of punches but Balor avoids them all with ease.
Balor lands a leg kick. The shin dug right into the meat of the thigh.
Lopez keeps his opponent at a distance with a nice jab.
Balor pushes Lopez away with a front kick.
The crowd applaud the fighters' efforts here as the round comes to an end.
Decent striking displayed by Balor there.
Balor scores with a slapping inside leg kick.
Balor fakes with a right hand and throws a good leg kick, right into the thigh. That had to hurt Lopez.
Lopez lands with a hook. Balor tried to avoid it but it clipped the top of his head.

And that's the end of the fight!
Finn Balor showed his dominance in that final round.
Well Balor has outscored his opponent in every aspect of the fight today. Only a scarily incompetent judge or two will keep him from a well deserved win... Over to the ring announcer for the scorecards.

Ladies and gentlemen, after 3 rounds of action, we go to the scorecards for a decision.
Judge Micheangelo Fripello scores the fight 30:27
Judge Colin Fray scores the fight 30:27
Judge Ryoma Takatsuka scores the fight 30:27

In favor of your winner, by unanimous decision... Finn Balor!
Finn Balor got down on his knees post fight and begged the management for a title shot. 'Please, I want that title shot so bad! Give it to me!'